Silver Lining
by Part of Youth
Summary: This love was unexpected, but blamelessly perfect. This is a collection of Unsui/Karin one-shot stories.
1. Artful Demeanor

"You do this alone, don't you?" Standing behind him to get a better coverage, she let him sit in front of the mirror as she shaved his head.

"It's easy, I just need to shave it all over… just leaving exactly half a centimeter of my hair length," Unsui said, as Karin noticed he was observing her seriousness at the mirror. Smiling at the thought, she knew he's successful at trying not to let that rigorous expression creep over her face.

"This cut; I've always found it appealing for you… oh, but it seems that you've had your miscalculations on some parts of your art," she jested as she noticed the mismatched alignments of his hair just right above his nape. It was rather unnoticeable, but it's apparent when eyed. She even noticed little scars probably caused by wrong cut directions.

"Well, yes, needs a little more effort when I get on the back. Especially right on the nape," he remarked sincerely, rubbing the part that obviously marked his failed efforts.

"I could see that. Whatever happened to that wide range of vision, hm." She chuckled, touching his hand that was landed on the spot that looks quite disheveled and played with it.

"Weak spot. I have to work harder to perfect this art then," he chuckled himself, grabbed her hand and kissed it. She knew how much he adores her hands with such gentle fingertips.

"You don't have to, I'm here."

"I am really glad that I have your assistance now," he said in truthfulness, smiling at her through the mirror.

She couldn't help blushing; all these times they've been together he could still do this to her – be struck defenseless with his openness. She could only hug him tight from behind. Yes, he has her now.

She took this comfortable moment to reminisce and remembered how they started: This man, her lover, loves to do things on his own as long as he could. She was quite glad that slowly he's starting to let her be a part of him. His simplicity, she learned, includes his honesty.

Goodness knows how long it took him to actually ask her out. After all, she knew they were both shy and amateur in this aspect... especially her. In the past, they have only known each other by name in their highschool years due to their common sport; however, they were obviously not given the opportunity to get close given the circumstances.

So she had the chance to encounter him again this college since her manga prospect involved his Enma University American football teammate Sena Kobayakawa, the famous Eyeshield 21. This required her to frequently visit the university for characterization and setting observation. Given his kind nature and interest in the subject at hand, he started assisting her giving out opinions and suggestions. Then they just started talking more. Feeling comfortable with each other along with learning common interests and some more talking, they became friends instantly. It led them into doing a lot of things together more often than the usual. During a football practice that she joined he tackled her a little too much that they both fell down, which accidentally ended up with him brushing his lips over hers. That was it. She realized she was feeling something all along. She had hoped he feels the same way.

During a summer night, he finally asked her out, realizing his own feelings from his blameless mind after she suddenly went paranoid when he told her he would be leaving for the entire vacation to the mountains for further training and to retain his mental balance. She gracefully agreed to his clueless invite if she would want to come with him as they kissed for the first time. Time passed with happiness and positive progression. She loves this man; loving him more and more, no matter how over-sentimental it seemed.

"Now that I'm here, why don't you efficiently invest your effort to another form of art with me? Say, to a more highly productive manner?" So she went on kissing his newly shaved head from the nape then deciding to move to a side of his face, teasing.

"Is that supposed to be a sinister initiation or a reward for my behaviour?" He started to shift to let her sit across his lap and face him. With a smile-smirk on his face she learned only he could do, she knew he was responding well to her request… well, to her demand.

"I wonder... should I say 'please be gentle to me' then?" She said playfully when he started kissing her face, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want me to be?"

"Absolutely not..." he laughed and she kissed him wholeheartedly.


	2. Absent Mindedness

"You can't wear that. See, it has some holes on the back." Karin was amused to see Unsui in such a predicament. Though she wondered how she didn't notice it before.

"You're right, but I'm not really bothered by them small ones." He randomly grabbed a new one from his closet and took off what he was wearing carelessly; so carelessly topless in front of her she flushed.

"Th-that's another one… now with huge ones!" In which she started to chuckle, seeing how he took out something far worse than the first one.

"I think I put too much in the laundry last time. Then I forgot about it. Don't worry, it's unusual."  
He said, attempting to make an explanation when she saw a frown on her face. He discharged the shirt back to the closet abruptly, so as to cover the ridiculous mistake.

But she moved. Rummaging over his closet, she saw almost all of his clothing have holes in it and her frown remained.

Ever since he moved to another apartment recently, aside from having new things still to get used to, he was also occupied with the appropriations that needed to be dealt with in order for needed settlements to get done. This most likely hindered his focus on household chore routines.

"There's not too much to wash either. Oh my, I don't know what to do to you." She half-smiled, developing this instinct of wanting to take care of him; all about him, just so much.

It came to her realization finally that Unsui did not even bother to buy new things after what happened. Actually, he doesn't buy new things unless given severe damages or the condition of anything not being functional anymore. She understood that it's not that he finds it impractical, he just doesn't care about the basic necessity of clothing in general. Those monk robes have been his life along with the American football uniforms, practice clothes, and only a few of casual ones. Outside he simply wears those few that he needs and it has been there in his closet for goodness knows how long. Then sometimes almost all of it gets torn in unannounced practices in random fields. This is a serious case of lack of clothing.

So she started to devote herself to this responsibility and save time to buy some clothes for him whenever she had the opportunity. First time, she felt him feeling awkward having realized of his own lack of awareness in this matter. Then gradually he's finally accepting whatever she gives and even started to come with her in several occasions.

"Hm, I just want to do this;" one day when they were about to go somewhere, she tried taking off the shirt that he was wearing – one of the clothes she bought for him.

"Another hole in the shirt?" He helped taking it off and eyed the shirt on her hands to see what's wrong; careful enough, though she knew he was trying not to make her notice him forgetting the laundry in the washer again.

"No, I just like it this way." With a teasing stare, she hugged him.

After a while of having problems with holes, she decided she had to innovate some more. With her talented gentle fingers, she also learned how to sew. To avoid him missing the started chore again, sometimes she'd come over earlier to wash his clothes. Then maybe the new washing machine was the problem; it's just that they don't bother them small external matters at all.


	3. First Hand Experience

There were always these times that the professor insists a group discussion per lesson; a strategy for sharing information and impromptu thought process enhancement, of course. Karin and her friend sat beside three literature major students and were grouped with them. This time, after all the students wrote draft stories about a certain theme, the group discussion focused with an objective to widen concepts with proper exposition. The five of them overall, apparently, are ladies.

"God! It's so hard to be single… to think this is the last year of my college life," one of the three literature majors sighed after the blatant realization.

"I know. Then we get these awareness topics: Erotica," the other one chimed.

"So depressing," then the last one dismissed.

"Hm, let's see what we can do," Karin said, optimistic although with unease.

That set an alarm. Karin eyed her friend. Getting what she meant, both of them decided to stay quiet about her actual situation. It seems she's the only one not literally single in the group… and that's seriously critical. Even her friend is single, only that she's with this person long enough to know the truth and the details. Some single women with these reactions tend to be over acting on the matter. Especially she had only known these literature majors in this class.

So they started sharing each others drafts, in which everyone decided what they did was hopeless, no substance at all and only Karin's had the potential. That resolution made her do the explaining, forced to comment on each draft. The three single ladies seemed eager to want some elaboration of what she wrote, stating it was interesting. She's been used to this situation; she knew these ladies would just want to know more for actual future reference.

"I don't know, tell me more. Would it be effective for him to touch her there?" One attempted to open the curiosity with the question.

"No, you don't make him touch her there. It's not even gentle. It looks like the man was trying to force her into it. You're a woman, I'm sure know where are the sensitive parts. Plus, this notion is not delicate enough. You have to have a start… or some indicative movements," Karin pointed out on the paper of her group's errors.

Everyone in the group started to listen to her too keenly.

"Everything isn't about plainly erotic; there must be something more. In that way it's not unfashionably lustful, it's consummate. There would be much more substance. You have to be sure there was something before this actual sequence, unless you want to do literal sex, not making love.

"This series of movements could be the start of a destructive deterioration of the unity as well. Just make sure that everything fits perfectly between them, like there's no world without the other with or without this activity." She explained.

After a little while of explaining, the other three ladies had their mouths open, eyes confused, and were altogether disconcerted.

"How'd you get to learn these things, eh?" Her friend warningly teased, glaring at her for letting loose wide 'knowledge' about the topic. It might leak the real deal, which would basically end up with her being questioned personally. Obviously, that would be uncomfortable.

That's when she realized she talked too much. She went too far in explaining the complexities of a consummate relationship that she forgot about the actual topic: Erotica. More so, she had been making 'them' as a resource.

"You-you just… learn them." She said, blushing. Her friend started laughing silently.

Later, Unsui couldn't stop feeling funny after finding out about her unease when she told the story, in which the three single ladies end up just bemused. She had accidentally made them set up their expectations and standards of finding potential relationship extremely high or difficult, anyway.


	4. Moonshadow

It started when Unsui accidentally brushed his lips on hers when she got tackled by him straight down the field during a football practice that she randomly joined. Karin couldn't stop thinking about it at all. For the past few months they've been doing well and getting close, but she realized having him with her always in company – doing random and new things together, talking just too much, making excuses to other friends to meet each other up – was different among everybody else. Since that unforgettable circumstance with him, she realized it was actually not common anymore… this behaviour and quite deep reciprocated understanding. Obviously, she loves him; and she hoped, just so maybe, that he feels the same way.

Just this past week, she literally tried to ignore him when they accidentally encountered each other on the street, but he did notice her. She was supposed to quarantine herself from him and think how much she had actually grew attached to him – so much almost reaching to needing him and his presence. In the end, she understood she didn't need further realizations anymore, she's sure of what she feels. Today was no difference; they went to places for her manga background references together again, which she had called to inform him early in the morning. He's the first person that always comes out of her mind when she thinks of something unsystematic or even anything. He does that to her as well; they do that to each other, which is naturally not normal.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell: I'll be leaving for the entire break to the mountains… well, to work harder." He suddenly said as if dismissing to avoid explanation, cutting her from her reverie. He was walking her home to her apartment after their usual weekend spotting.

She then felt defenseless. That was it: This was actually the first time they were to be apart. She grew uneasy and agitated at the possibility of the situation.

"You're going away?" After which she started to feel fear. Fear of this as the end. The possibility of him going back without remembering what they've shared ever since they met, she was clearly getting paranoid.

"Just for a while; I do this often and I really do need this now." He was attempting to explain something more and be honest, but she didn't hear it out of him.

"Why? Have I been bothering you?" Her worry and defense was excessively overpowering her, which was a little inappropriate.

"No, to be honest I've been thinking weirdly about u—"

"Haven't you noticed how much we've always been together? Then you're just going to disappear?" She had cut him. Even though she knew she was being nonsensical as to what's coming out of her mouth, she couldn't just bear hiding it… then maybe she did want some answers now.

Unsui was left dumbfounded of her one-sided realizations, and then he looked at her with a shocked expression… as if he had realized something.

"I-I'm sorry…" she finally accepted she was being really unreasonable, her hopes of him feeling the same drifting away. She walked away from him, starting to have this sickening feeling in the heart, but he held her arm and looked at her.

"Wait, I know this is new, but would you like to come with me?" With a serious face, she felt Unsui had a firm resolve in his eyes. It really was new: Love. She understood; he doesn't need to tell her anymore.

Her eyes welled with tears profusely going down to her cheeks as she run to hug him and kiss him. It was their very first kiss, which felt the sweetest. Then he kissed her forehead.

"I would assume that's a yes." He looked down at her, smiling shyly.

Their shadows linked together as their lips did again, reflected by the light of the moon. They weren't looking for love, but it found them.


	5. Morning Convenience

Since Unsui is an early bird, Karin knows that he has the habit of consuming huge amount of time staring at her. She woke up beside the man she loves turned to her side, looking intently at her. She loves mornings for this, no matter how dismantled their bed could get and how late they go up for the day in the end.

"Why does it seem that you always stare at me when I wake up?" She said, smiling and facing him while covering her face with her hands, attempting to constrain him from sharing her amusement.

"Does it creep you out?" He questioned, all the while getting closer. He had started to hold her waist, wanting to disengage her from hiding.

"Are you trying to excuse yourself by supposing me as that?"

"Why do you think that?"

"Now are you trying to get away with that kind of weak defense?" By this time, she had removed her hands from her face, eyeing him playfully. Her hands went to softly ruffle his extremely short hair.

"Do you think my stomach affects my stream of thinking?"

"You're hungry?" She asked, touching his stomach.

"Breakfast sounds good?"

"You do try hard to make it sound like a question, hm?"

"You're doing that as well, now." He pointed out, laughing.

"You're hopeless, I win. You didn't answer me with a question."

"You have no choice, you are bound with me."

"Now we go to the 'you-yous'?"

"I win."

"You… are… one… difficult… man." She said in between kisses on his lips, getting on top of him.

"Big winner." He corrected, smile-smirking all the while.

"Fine, fine. I can't argue with that. Now, for your big reward... food." And she teased. Disengaging herself from him, letting him lose her physical sense from him.

"Really?" Without warning, he grabbed her back to the bed. He started unbuttoning her pajamas while mumbling incomprehensible words that kept her giggling quietly until it became huge sighs. Then both had succumbed to the real reward the entire morning.

The next day, she woke up first. She just resorted to tease-tickling him so that he would wake up. Eyes still closed and quasi-awake, he kept on getting on the edge of the bed and in the end, fell on the ground… but, of course, taking her with him. Then just like one of these careless weekends they spend the whole day together in bed just talking and laughing, making love, and staring at each other.


	6. More Than Words

_This is most likely the last update that I will do in this website. If you find my stories interesting, check my livejournal account (__**dayofcaligula**__) for updates (my Unsui/Karin fix is there, including the ones not published here)._

**Warning: **Wholesome, not so naughty NC-17. There's also a little bit of angst here.

After washing his hands, Unsui kneeled in front of her as she sat on their bathroom counter, dragged his hand through her leg up to her hip, and looked up at her with concern.

"Don't look so glum." Karin said, smiling.

He frowned, but nevertheless slowly pulled away her skin from the bandage, layer by layer, on her lower right leg.

"Does it still hurt?"

"A bit, yes."

"I know you hate this, so close your eyes." He warned as he was about to remove everything.

"Well, I'd rather just look at you."

"You seem quite positive for someone who just had a surgery."

"Among other things, it's because I can rest."

After making sure the entirety of the bandage was gone, he put it in a plastic bag for disposal. He thereafter washed his hands again and began cleaning the stitched wound with warm wet cloth, gentle enough so as not to hurt her.

"... It's the first time I've seen this. It's quite severe."

"It's going to heal. It's just like those times when we'll get through with and wait for you to heal before a major game. Only, it's my turn."

"I still don't like it."

"Does it look terrible?"

"No, your incision's clean." He continued, rubbing a dry cloth ever so lightly this time.

"Aren't you supposed to go somewhere? I can do this on my own, you see."

"I don't think this is subject for compromise. And since when did that come from you?"

"I absorb and learn from you. But, I do feel I somehow need you here... Your mother's right. You're someone who's going to stop doing anything just to help anyone, aren't you? I love and hate that about you."

"I haven't heard that from you, why?" After washing his hands for the third time, he took the new set of bandage and rolled it to the proper area.

"I'm thinking, what if I get to that phase of feeling inadequately too preoccupied and you're no longer here to be the _prima facie _evidence that it's not worth it to be in that situation."

"Isn't that being selfish?"

"You're being too selfless. Where's the balance for you?"

He sighed, conflicted, and said in the end: "I know I'm not solitary anymore. I'm just not happy about this."

"Don't let what had happened to me make you reevaluate what's not necessary anymore. You have to take care of yourself as well, and not only for me."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Let's just not brood around the dark recesses of our minds."

"I still feel bad I wasn't there to prevent this." After he washed his hands for the last time, he went back to her and kissed her temple.

"Well, you can do something to make me forget about the pain..." She said, her hand playing with his jaw.

"Aren't you tired?"

"Not much. You've been taking care of me all day."

"Alright, not that I don't want to take the offer in the first place."

He parted her legs, with extra care with the injured one, and placed himself between her knees.

"I will be very careful." He smiled playfully at her, as his hand went to her lower back.

"I won't dodge." She laughed silently when he turned away a little.

"That sounds very inappropriate right now."

"OK, how about... 'I missed this'?" She put her arms on his shoulders, looked at him with eager anticipation, and kissed his chest right where the heart is.

"Better."

She closed her eyes when he kissed her deeply, building up the mood. Then moved to her jaw and neck, as she trailed wet kisses on his head, her hands stroking his back. She undid his shirt as he pulled her dress up effortlessly. She sighed a few, writhing, when he sucked and licked her breasts intently, as if drowning in her.

She was smiling at him as he slowly got rid of her underwear, undressing her completely. When he moved back to kissing her as he touched her body with savour, it was her turn to lower his boxers, feeling his erection. She turned his face to her for a kiss while stroking his member, indicating that she's ready.

He kissed her nose and ear before he penetrated her without waiting for a moment, thrusting into her as she inhaled sharply, making her achor her left leg, guiding, as he started to move.

They looked at each other with intensity and with that certain happiness, but she knew he knew that she couldn't move properly, so he eagerly progressed the rhythm on his own, as she clung to him, digging his back, as if breaking it as he went faster and faster.

"I love you," he grunted, consumed by her.

He kissed her chin when she turned her head up whispering his name in her orgasm. Then she let go of that soft ecstatic moan that always brings him to his release, coming inside her. She tightened her grip to him and didn't let go as he kissed her hair, both gasping for breath.

When she finally looked at him, back to her senses, she smiled, glowing, and said: "My lipstick's on your face. It's messy." After which, she tried rubbing it off of his face with her thumb.

"I'm not going anywhere. And, I still want to kiss you." He said, thankful that her leg didn't get affected in the process given that she didn't react about it, then kissed her anyway.


End file.
